hookey



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. HOCKEY.

SELF FEEDING TARGET TRAP.

No. 446,519. Patented Feb. 17, 1891.

W/T/VES lVI/ENTOR Why/M7 gu/ZMA, 4 1101 ATTORNEY.

we Nnmus pzrsas coI, FNOIU-LITNO., WASHINGTON, u. :4

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. H. HOCKEY. SELF FEEDING TARGET TRAP.

No. 446,519. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

5 zi ATTORNEY.

THE NORRIS signs 00., vnoro-umo.,-msmuaron, n. 1:.

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3.

G. H. HOCKEY. SELF FEEDING TARGET TRAP.

No. 446,519. Patented Feb. 17, 1891.

i.7. A F7 I V ATTORNEY.

we r s vzrzns cw. FHO'G-UTHD, WASHINGTON, IV a NihD Sterne GEORGE HENRY HOCKEY,

ATIENT rricnt OF BRISTOL, EJGLAND.

eetr reeolne TARGET-I-TRAP.

$PECIFIOA1ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,519, dated February 17, 1891. Application filed March 27, 1889. Serial No. 305,041. (No model.) Patented in England September 20, 1887, No. 12,713.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY HOCKEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in the city and county of Bristol, England, have invented a new and useful Self-Feeding larget-Throwing Machine for ShootingPractice, (for which Ihave obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 12,713, bearing date September 20, 1887,) of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to improvements in target-throwing machines from which targets of metal or other suitable material are thrown through the air, so that they can be shot at by persons desiring to become proficient in shooting at objects moving rapidly through the air; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to enable two or more targets to be thrown from the machine without the shooter or his attendant having to go the machine to place another target in place and coinpress the spring, which in all machines of this kind forms the means by which the target may afterward be ejected from the machine; second, to afford facilities for changing the direction of the flight of any target thrown from the machine without having to approach the machine to make the required alteration. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine in its normal condition, with atarget in place ready to be caught hold of by the jaw. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine when the jaw has grasped the target and the cookingbar has returned to its normal position. Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine as shown in elevation in Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a plan of the ma chine as shown in elevation in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail drawing in plan of the check, together with a horizontal section on the line X X of the receiver, showing the lower grooved rail of the magazine. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail drawings of the jaws.

Similar letters refer to similar throughout the several views.

Fixed to the base or stand of the thrower and supported in front by the stay a is a magazine, chute, tube, or reservoir 0, hereinafter'called the magazine, inclined downward toward a receptacle Z2, fixed at that end parts of the thrower at which the targets are seized by the jaw. This magazine is constructed with grooved rails, in which the rims of the targets run, so as to guide the targets correctly to the receptacle Z). The targets d are placed in the upper end of the magazine 0.

The machine is provided with a check N, which governs the flow of targets from the magazine 0 to the receptacle b. This check is composed of a lever n, pivoted to the base f at 91?, having a vertical extension at either end. In the vertical extension nearest the magazine is a hole in which loosely works a rod Z which is bent at right angles to itself and the base f and by means of bearings is kept in position while capable of turning about the center n On the upper end of the vertical portion of Z is firmly fixed atits middle point a a bar in clined, as is the magazine C. On either end of this bar, and integral with it, are two stops Z and l, which are capable of moving alternately over the lower grooved rail of the magazine 0. At a point on the horizontal part of the rod Z or to the vertical extension of a, through which it loosely projects, is fastened a spring, the other end of which is fastened to the base f at Z", which spring tends to keep the stops Z and Z in the normal position in Figs. 1 and 3, so that a target cannot pass them from the magazine 0 into the receptacle 1).

Pivoted at one end of the basef is a horizontal throwing-arm c, acted upon by the main spring 25, and furnished at its other end with jaws G and three lugs, two of them Fe in the plane parallel with the base f, being on one side and the third 71: being vertical to the base f.

The jaws G are shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7. The upper jaw is formed by the free end of the throwing-arm e, and the lower jaw is the piece g of the double-bent lever g g g which is pivoted at g between the lugs k 70 Passing through g which is hereinafter called the finger, is a set-screw g carrying a disk g the object of the said set-screw being to regulate the tension of the spring 0, which bears against the said disk g and also against the lug it the action of this spring tending to keep the jawsG closed.

it is a cocking bar pivoted to f 011 the same PIVOlJ asthe throwing-arm 6, but. above it at a shortdistance from one end. At this end it is connected with a spring 0, theother end of which is fastened securely to f, and which tends to keep said cocking-bar in the normal position, as shown in the drawings. At a short distance from the other end of said cocking-arm and integral with it is an arm 2', and beyond c' said cocking-bar ends in abent extension 7t. Attached to the arint' isa cord ;t;,]which passes through the guide-pulleys q and q. are guide-rods to guide the throwing-arm a correctly, so that the jaws G may be brought in the proper position to grasp the target, which is in the receptacle b.

j is apawl or catch pivoted between supports-fixed to the-basef, and is held in position by the spring rand the fixed postj. Attachedto= the-pawl 7' is a cord, wire, or chain 5 which passes down-ward through a hole in f, round the guide-pulley 'to the end nearest itof the slotted link 3, which said slotted links is on the under side of the basef, and is free to slide and revolve about the pivot t To the end of the link 8', farthest from that to which 8 isattached, there is connected another cord, wire, or chain 3.

t is a buffer against which the throwingarm. 6 bears'when in its normal position.

The base f is. hinged at u to a turn-table to, which iszpivoted torthe table or bed 1, which whentheth-rower is in use isheld stationary,

()n-the-said table or bed 1; are guides-t" and vithroughwhich and round theturn-table'u" arecords-w and w, anchored at'the back of the-turntable at 10 0c isaan: elevator, by which the angle off to the horizontalplane may becontrolled.

Targetsare first placed in themagazine 0 through the upper end,.and one'is also placed in-. the receptacle Z). The-bottom target in 0 will come in, contact with the'stop Z. \Vhen thecordih 'is pulled,the-cocking-bar hbegins tozturn oniitsrpivot inthe direction of the pull and thejbe nt extension 7; presses against the upper end of the finger g causing' thejaws.

G-toopen. The projecting arm 1' now comes in,contact withithe throwing-arnre, causing said throwin g-arm to move on'the pivot in-the same directionasihe cockingfbanh, the jaws G- in themeanwhileremaining open,andinv this condition aremade to describean arc until the free end of the throwing-arme comes in contact with the receptacle 1), when therim of; the target d in said receptacle b is between:

the jaws G. The spring-pawl now acts autornatically, and the-throwing-arm e is held by it; in this=position. The pull onithe-cord h is .now relaxed, andvunder the influence of the spring 0 the cocking-bar 7t flies back to its normal position, as shown in the drawings;

and the pressure exerted by on g being thus removed thespring 0 is able effectively to exupward; against the rimof thewta'rget, which it presses against, theunder surface of the upper jaw, and at the same time slightly raises the target out of the receptacle 1). During the travel of the throwing-arm 8 under the influence of the pull exerted through the cooking bar 7t, and a little while before the jaws G reach the target in the receptacle Z), the throwing-arm 6 comes in contact with a, one of the vertical extensions of the lever 72, which as the arm 6 continues to move toward the receptacle b is made to move on its pivot it, thus causing the vertical portion of the rod Z to turn on its axis, and thereby causing the bar carrying the stops 1 and Z to turn about its center a in such a manner as to bring the stops Z and Z into the position shown in Figs. 2 and 4t, and thereby allowing the targets in the magazine to descend by gravity until the lowest one is stopped by the lower stopZ. The throwing-arm 6, being now held,-as above de-' scribed, by the pawl j, continues to beatagainst H, and'no target is able to pass from the magazine 0 into the receptacle-Z). The distancebetween-Z and Z is such that only one target can be-between them at one time. If

it is now desired topropelinto the air the tar get which is in the jaws G, the cord 8 is pulled.

If new the length-of theslotted link sisin-a line with thepull on the cords, thesaid link s'slides outhepivot t in'thedirection'of the pull, there'- by exerting a pull through the cord or chain" 8 on the pawlj such that the action of' the spring 0' is overcome: and said pawl is pulled down. If the length of the-link s is at an angle to the pull on the cords, thersaid lin-k first movesround the pivot 15 untilits length is in a line withithe pull'on'the cords when-it slideson t-hesaid pivot and the paw-lj is pulled jaws G, and coming in contact with thebuffer t, whereby the moti'on'ot' the arm e is' sud denly stopped,the target slips from the jaws by its own inertia, and isthus forcibly thrown from the machine. Immediately the arm (2 begins to move under. the influence of the main spring, as just described, the pressure one is released and the spring'm isable to 'e'fficiently exert. itsforce. in the opposite direction, andthe'check n returnsto its normal position,iasshown in'Fig. 1. The-stop Z be ing thus removed fromin front of the lead- ;ing targetin the magazine, this target drops by'gravity into'the receptacle 1), where it is caused to fall into a horizontal position .by meeting-the curved backof the said receptacle, while simultaneous insertionof the stop- Z over the lower grooved rail of the magazine prevents that target which is'now the leading one from any movement toward thereceptacle:

In order to allowan increased numberof' targets-to beplaced in the magazine, it may be extended, preferably, in a spiral'for'm.

hile the machine is in use the turn-table to is held stationary by firmly holding the ends, one or both, of the two cords to and 10'. It will be obvious that targets may be thrown by the machine either straight forward or right or left, for if the cord to" only is pulled then the turn-table a, carrying the rest of the machine, will turn to the right, and on working the machine by the cords 7t and s the targets will be thrown to the right, where as by pulling the cord 10 alone in place of the cord to the targets will under similar conditions be thrown to the left of the thrower.

By raising or lowering the front of the base f by means of the screw-elevator the flight of the targets can be arranged at various angles to the horizontal plane.

Until the supply of targets in the magazine a is exhausted no need exists for the operator to approach the thrower. Hence a more or less rapid succession of discharges is obtain ed without the necessity of handling the thrower after each discharge.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is

1. In a target-thrower, the combination, with a magazine, of a pivoted throwing-arm provided at its free end with a jaw for receiving and retaining a target, and a cocking-bar for swinging said throwing-arm and opening said jaw, substantially as set forth.

2. In a target-thrower, the combination, with a magazine, of a spring-actuated throwing-arm provided at its free end with a jaw for receiving and retaining a target, a cocking-bar adapted to open said jaw, and apawl for holding said throwing-arm in its set or cooked position.

In a target-thrower, the combination, with a pivoted throwing-arm provided at its free end with a spring-actuated jaw, of a pivoted cocking-bar havingits free end arranged to bear against and open said jaw, a springactuated pawl for holding or retaining the said throwing-arm in its set or cooked position, and springs secured to said throwingarm and cocking-bar for returning them to their normal positions.

4. In a target-thrower, the combination,

with a magazine, of a pivoted throwing-arm provided at one end with a jaw, a cookingbar, a pawl for holding the throwing-arm in its set or cooked position, and a stop located end the lower near said magazine for delivering the targets to said throwing-arm one at a time, substantially as set forth.

5. A target-thrower constructed with a magazine or chute consisting of two grooved rails, one above the other, in which grooves the targets travel and are retained in their upright position, and a receptacle into which said grooved rails lead and into which the targets drop into a horizontal position from said rails, substantially as described.

6. In a target-thrower, the combination, with a magazine or chute leading into a re- (eptacle at its lower end, of a throwing-arm having a jaw formed on its free end adapted to move'toward and grasp the target located in said receptacle, the cocking-bar h, adapted to operate said jaw and move said throwingarm, the paw j, located below said throwingarm when the latter is in position to receive a target, and the check located beside said magazine for the purpose of controlling the exit of the targets from said magazine, substantially as set forth.

7. A target thrower constructed with a throwing-arm e, pivoted at one end to the base f and having secured at its opposite jaw g, the latter being extended and formed into the finger or tail-piece g which latter has the spring 0' bearing against it for holding said lower jaw in its closed position.

8. In a targetthrower, the combination, with a throwing-arm, of a spring-actuated pawl for holding the latter in its cocked posi tion, a slotted link 3, and a pin 29, passing through the slot in the link and into the base, and a connecting device between the pawl and said link, substantially as described.

9. In a target-thrower, the combination of a table r, having pivoted thereon a turntable a, carrying the base of the throwerand fitted with cords w and w, passing through guides 12 and r whereby the base or stand carrying the thrower can be moved on its axes to the right or left by an operator holding the free ends of said cords, substantially I00 as hereinbefore described.

GEORGE HENRY HOCKEY."

Witnesses:

J. PAGE Wool), 11. BORDERMAN. 

